Hotel bed

Here are some tips and tricks for saving money at  hotels that Budget Travel Magazine recently published in a little flier they sent out. I thought most of the tips were really great, and I know that I’ve made good use of some of them already.

1. AAA Discount

Yes, always ask for one – but better yet, if you walk into a hotel without a reservation, or if you call one up, don’t tell them that you have AAA until AFTER they quote you a price. Sometimes, hotels try to be sneaky and quote you a AAA price when it’s actually the regular price.

2. Check out Convention and Visitor’s Bureaus

Make good use of city’s Convention and Visitor’s Bureaus! For example, Orlando’s office has what’s called a “Black Book” which has cut-rate offers phone in by local hotels which are desperate to book their hotel for the night.This will save you a lot of money – money you can then spend on places like Disney World!

Universal Studios in Orlando Florida

3. Are phone calls really free?

Always ask if phone calls and breakfasts are included for *free*. Never assume it is. Mid-range hotels usually include stuff like that for free, but more expensive hotels will often charge you for it.

4. Web-only rate for the win!

Always, always check the hotel’s “web-only” rate. It’s usually cheaper than what you’ll get by simply calling the property directly. I also find that, nowadays, most hotel’s online website are very competitive, if not cheaper than, the sites like Hotels.com because those site tend to charge fees.

Happy hotel hunting!

Photo Credits: Rich Moffitt, szlea